It’s Diversity. Koché SS19

September 26, 2018September 26, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

Christelle Kocher, just like Marine Serre, likes to keep her fashion one-of-a-kind, but suited for real life. With the designer’s signature streetwear aesthetic, Koché is the brand that makes sweatpants and hoodies in the most couture way you can imagine – think meticulous embroideries and extraordinary fabric clashes. Kocher’s spring-summer 2019 instantly reminded me of Jean Paul Gaultier’s 1994 collection, so the at-the-time controversial Les Tatouages. Just like in Gaultier’s ‘startling vision of cross-cultural harmony‘, Christelle mixed and fused cultures and ethnicities in her collection, creating a wearable ode to style diversity. There were some very literal references to Jean Paul’s collection (hopefully credited), like the tattoo motif on transparent tops. Also, I noticed some old, good Yves Saint Laurent chic here too – see the le smoking look, styled with a red flower necklace. But mostly, the collection was quintessentially Koché – easy in approach and comfortable.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Real. Marine Serre SS19

September 25, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

Marine Serre’s second runway collection is best proof that she’s one of the most promising emerging designers out there in Paris. Her last collection was all about futuristic athleisure with a cosmic twist. Spring-summer 2019 is suited for daily errands down here on planet Earth. Serre’s already signature moon crest prints and scarf dresses (made of already existing, silk stock) were here, but there were many, many new additions that continue to make this label feel totally fresh. There’s tailoring, pimped up with Serre’s sporty sensibility; upcycled, couture-ish evening-wear that had a cool, utilitarian attitude about it; menswear that will surely please both, boys and girls. But what’s most important, the collection is fit for everyday life, even though it’s not about trivial basics. Plastic bags for groceries and patched jackets made of thick denim, perfect for a motorcycle ride. Some models walked the runway with their children (all wearing Marine’s crest printed outfits, of course), and some had their babies stylishly strapped in the front of their chests, raising the bar for mum-accessories in fashion. A wardrobe for a variety of life aspects. But what’s most impressive about it is that Serre’s visual language doesn’t get lost in all that. Each piece is distinctly her. And that’s an achievement, especially since Marine Serre isn’t a big, old brand.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Le Palace, Jane and The Past. Gucci SS19

September 25, 2018September 25, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

The first day of fashion week felt like a present you’ve been waiting for for a long time, but in the end you didn’t really get what you wanted. Three collections: the boringly beautiful Dior (rumoured to be the last coming from Maria Grazia Chiuri), very obvious Jacquemus and the one-time-only Gucci show in the French capital, which from the three felt the most exciting. The last part of Alessandro Michele’s French trilogy (we had the 1968 student protest inspired advertising campaign and the memorable, ‘on fire’ resort 2019 collection in Arles) ended up in Le Palace, the historically famous club that used to be the Mecca for such night-goers like Yves Saint Laurent, Bianca Jagger or Karl Lagerfeld. Through the film that was played in the beginning of the show, we learned that the experimental theatre of Leo de Berardinis and Perla Peragallo served as a reference for Michele’s spring-summer 2019 creations. The clothes couldn’t be more theatrically dramatic, in the designer’s signature, eclectic sense. The models seemed to have played historical dress-up in an old, costume treasure chest just before the show. The overall style was quintessentially Alessandro: vintage-y, opulent, at points simply kitsch. Even though the designer champions gender fluidity in his collections, which is wonderful especially at such a globally renowned brand like Gucci, I honestly think that his latest line-up dug too deep in the past. Additional nostalgia was brought by Jane Birkin, who in the middle of the show stood up from her front row seat and started to sing the melancholic Baby Alone in Babylone. Don’t get me wrong. The spectacle (it can be hardly called a ‘fashion show’) was a masterpiece. But the fashion part, even if tried hard to remind of Parisian clubbing chic, was monotonously Michele who we see every single season. Aesthetically I absolutely can’t relate to this collection. How about the true Gucci customer? I guess anything goes.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

La Riviera. Jacquemus SS19

September 24, 2018September 24, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

Simon Porte Jacquemus had great luck with the weather. If he presented his spring-summer 2019 collection just a few minutes later in the backyard of the Italian embassy in Paris, the grey clouds wouldn’t have much mercy for La Riviera‘s colours and the very typically Jacquemus, beach-ready attitude. This season, it was a crossover of Simon’s two fascinations: the French seaside (which is a classic theme reoccurring in his line-ups) and the Italian seaside (the new love he discovered this summer, as his Instagram feed suggests). It’s clear that the designer adores passion and heat that comes from the Mediterrean way of summer dressing. Also, this collection again proves that Jacquemus is consistent with his style. Light, knitted maxi dresses with sensual slits; eveningwear that looks so effortless that you wouldn’t mind wearing it on the daily basis; leg exposing silhouettes and a number of cleavage revealing shirts. Of course, it’s all far from anything vulgar – those clothes are carefree, and liberate the body. The newest additions? Instead of XXL straw hats, Jacquemus sent down the runway an enormous, orange basket bag that will be all over Instagram come summer. But there were also tiny-miny bags and shoes with heels that literally looked like earrings. Also, it’s the debut season of Jacquemus’ beachwear, which will be a sure best-seller when it hits the stores. In a way, it’s a regular Jacquemus show, based on the signatures that this young designer has already managed to consolidate in his career. La Riviera is very close to his two previous collections: La Bomba and Le Souk, especially in case of clothes. Not that it’s bad – it’s the wardrobe you dream of every summer. But I kind of miss the more daring Jacquemus, the one that was already on everybody’s lips in the industry, but still wasn’t mainstream hype.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Creative Process. Marni SS19

September 24, 2018September 24, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

Marni by Francesco Risso is playful, that’s one thing. Second thing is that Risso lets his clothing talk for themselves – and that’s a rarity in Milan (except for Miuccia Prada, who’s been Francesco’s boss for a few years when he worked at Prada). Those aren’t just dresses, jackets and a bunch of accessories. Every single piece is a story. Whether we’re speaking of a bustier dress with an one-of-a-kind collage print or a necklace so eclectic that it reminds you of Iza Genzken artwork, Risso tells fashion tales that are neither minimal or opulent – two poles that seem to simplify today’s fashion in to two camps. For spring-summer 2019, the creative director as well developed this idea of creative process, and finding the right moment to stop working on something. He explained that in a further way backstage of his show. “It started with the process of the work in the studio, and thinking of it as a painter’s canvas, which keeps changing and modifying in the trials and mistakes – suddenly, that becomes the work itself”. His Marni seems to be experimental, but not over-pushed to look too arty. And simultaneously, each of the garment is wearable and suited for the daily life. Nothing proves that more than the diverse casting of models, of different shapes and life paths. I guess Marni is the collection from Milan I will surely look back at more than once this season.